11.11.2006

HEY GANG!
I am returning from my future sight visit on my way back to Luweero and am relaxing in an internet café before returning to training. I am trying to upload some more pictures, but we will see how that goes. So my head is spinning from my visit! The children at the orphanage are so kind and welcoming, and the all call me Aunt Sarah. It really is too cute. My living conditions are, well, um, I guess it will be challenging. I have one room attached to the dorm hall that is filled with 150 orphans. I know, crazy, right? The good thing is that we do have a generator, so I will have power for about one hour every night! We will see if this will make up for the fact that I am bunking with 150 children….

I was able to meet with my counterpart and supervisor for an extended period of time to sit down and discuss what it is they would like me to be doing for their organization. Their list was not short, here is a brief summary:
-Teach health/life skills (their current health education is from signs painted around the school with messages like “stay virgin,” “aids is bad” ect.
-Teach music
-Create peer education groups
-Help with grant writing
-Counsel the children
-Organize sporting/game events on the weekends
-Supervise house duties/chores
-Organize and facilitate community outreach programs
-Home visits
Plus at least 5 or 6 other things of which I can’t remember right now. Needless to say, I do not think I will be bored. If you want to know more about the orginization I will be working for, please check out the websight at www.childrenofuganda.org

For Christmas time, I am thinking of organizing a Harry Potter week for the orphans dividing the kids into ‘houses’ and having a week long house cup tournament so, if you happen to have a bunch of Harry Potter stickers or something like that sitting around and you are wondering what to do with them, I know some adorable children who would love to be able to have them. Which brings me to my next point…..I got a post office box! I think the man at the post office thinks I am crazy, I was very excited to be getting my very own Ugandan post office box, and I think I told him this at least 5 or 6 times. You can now start using this address because I will be moving there November 30th, but remember; mail takes about 3-4 weeks to arrive.

I hope you are all doing well, please enjoy the snow for me.

ps. I ate a grasshopper the other day.

11.02.2006

Children of Uganda!

Hello mikwano!!!!

So I am here at the PC office in Kampala for a short visit, and have a few minutes to blog. Many exciting things have been hapening in Uganda, first and formost being that I have found out where I will be spending the next 2 years of my life! My assignment is with the Children of Uganda, an organization which supports an orphanage and school for 350 orphans! From what I have found out, I will be living with the orphans, in the oprhanage. Hopefuly my life won't be to 'hard knock.' (haha) They recieve their fundig through their childrens choir which tours America ever 2 years. I will be able to do a lot of work with the choir, but I'm pretty sure I won't be able to tour with them, PC rule are pretty strict on amount of time spend out of country. We all head out to our Future Sights this Wednesday for a short visit to get a better feel for what our working and living conditions will be like. So far, I think that this assignment couldn't be better, infact I think it is perfect. I am having to sign off now, I am trying to upload some random pictures, hope youlike them!

Lots of love
Sarah

ps. i LOVE getting snail mail!!!! Thanks to everyone who has sent!